WHEN/WHERE: 2 p.m., today, Wednesday Oct. 29, at the Partnership for Safety and Justice, 825 N.E. 20th Ave #250, Portland, Ore. 97232.WHAT’s NEWS:
- At least 29 law enforcement officials from across Oregon and the western half of the United States are endorsing Measure 91. Endorsers include former Seattle police chief Norm Stamper, former Multnomah County Sheriff Don Clark, former Denver Police Department Lieutenant Tony Ryan and retired Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Chief Stephen Downing.
- Measure 91 has released a new ad spot featuring endorsements from retired Oregon Supreme Court Justice Bill Riggs, former county sergeant and sheriff’s deputy Pete Tutmark and current King County (Washington) Sheriff John Urquhart.
- Data from FBI Uniform Crime Statistics show people of color in Oregon are arrested twice as often for marijuana despite no disparity in use.
- Latest polls (OPB/Fox 12, KGW/Oregonian, KATU/Survey USA) show that victory or loss in the Measure 91 campaign hinges on voter turnout.
- Six days to go: It’s the final push to pass Measure 91.
WHAT’s HAPPENING: In the final push to pass Measure 91 in Oregon, law enforcement and racial justice advocates will speak out about how the current approach to marijuana unfairly targets people of color, makes us less safe and wastes police resources.
VISUALS:
- A giant $50 million bill representing the money spent in Oregon every year on enforcing marijuana laws, according to an economic analysis conducted by the ACLU.
- A large poster showing a letter signed by at least 29 law enforcement officials who support Measure 91.
- A news conference featuring three minute speeches from: former US Attorney for the District of Oregon Kris Olson, former Oregon Supreme Court Justice Bill Riggs, 30-year law enforcement veteran Paul Steigleder, racial justice advocate and Partnership for Safety and Justice director Cassandra Villanueva, former Multnomah County prosecutor Darian Stanford.
- A large poster showing that people of color are arrested twice as often in Oregon despite no disparity in use.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
- The Oregonian: Seven percent of all arrests in Oregon are for simple marijuana possession.
- The New York Times: People of color in Oregon are more than twice as likely to be arrested for marijuana despite no disparity in use.
- The ACLU: More than $50 million spent every year on marijuana possession arrests in Oregon. (Report page 77, PDF page 79)
